Chained Away
by FeastofDeath
Summary: Locked away in the deepest and darkest part of Vendicare where no light can reach him, a certain brunet was rescued by seven unknown people. Who were they? What did they want with someone like him who had no name, no family, no identity? Will they come to take him away and rescue him from his solitary prison?
1. Chains of Imprisonment

**Read: **Yeah, this an Alternate Universe fic. I always wondered what it would be like to make a Tsuna-was-chained-up-his-whole-life-fic! Also another side note, Mukuro was never locked up in Vindice, and his history with Chrome will be explained so please have patience._  
_

**Warning: **This has no pairings and you really can't convince me otherwise. Basically this a Tsuna-and-his-guardians type of fic.

**Setting: **The first part is the deepest and darkest part of Vendice. Later they will be in the Vongola mansion.

**Title: **'Chained Away' does not only refer to Tsuna physically being chained away into a prison for no apparent reason. Chains can also refer to mental links or burdens carried by a person, for example 'chained away by your heart' and the like.

* * *

**_Chained Away_**

_Those who do not move, do not notice their chains... **Rosa Luxemberg**_

* * *

**Chapter I. **_Chains of Imprisonment_

_Cold…_

A figure in a glass case was subconsciously floating in preservation liquid. Tubes and bandages surrounded his body, holding him in place.

_It's so dark..._

The figure was pale because his skin had never seen the sun. His hair was spiky, brown, and lifeless in the water.

_Can anyone hear me?_

His face was covered with a mask, chains and tubes held his hands and feet together. He couldn't move even if he wanted to.

_Can anyone save me?_

The tubes carried the needed nutrition of his body. He didn't need to eat and he was sleeping most of the time. The nutrition carried by the tubes also came with a heavy anesthetic to keep his body numb.

_Will I forever be stuck here?_

The eyes of the figure opened halfway. He could see the green light his container emitted but the only things he could see aside from that are dark walls and stone cold floors. Blank brown eyes blankly stared and the figure began to shake.

_Will no one come to free me?_

The eyes began to close again but this time out of helplessness. He didn't want to see anymore of the outside world he would never get to experience.

_I guess this is my fate…_

CRASH!

Brown eyes snapped open at the sound.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

"Intruders! Intruders!"

"Emergency lock down!"

"Guard the prisoners! I think they're after one of them!"

"It's too late! They've penetrated too deeply into the prison!"

"The Vindice? Where are THEY?"

THUD!

People, the first time in a long while since he's seen people, crowded in front of his container. They were the usual guards of the place.

"I think they're after _him_… Hurry! Guard the perimeter!"

"C-Captain! I-It's useless they-!"

BANG!

One person fell at the gunshot. The brunet could hear sounds of sword slashing, guns, and other weapons at work as the people guarding his tank, one by one fell.

"Is this it?" New voices entered his hearing. He saw shadows of seven people stand in front of his container. He could make out the shock and appalled expressions of some of them.

"This place is so dark… Had they been keeping him here the whole time?"

"Is that him?"

The brunet could merely stare at the people outside. He felt the sedatives in the tubes make him sleepy. Too much sedatives could kill him… Were the guards outside planning to kill him before the people in front of him freed him?

_Are you here to save me?_

The seven people in front of him jumped.

"W-What was that?"

"Kufufufu, I think our mysterious friend here was the one who said that."

"W-Wha-? He can EXTREMELY do that despite the mask?"

_Have you come to free me?_

Silence.

"Yes, we've come to free you." One of them spoke gently.

The brunet's eyes softened.

_Really? You came to save someone like me who doesn't even know his own name…?_

"We know your name!" A girl, this time, said.

The person in the tank felt his lips twitch into a small smile, but the others couldn't see it because of the mask covering his face.

_That's a relief. To know I actually have a name…_

"Of course you do." One said gruffly. "Everyone has a name…"

Silence.

_I wonder if I'll live long enough to know it…_ The brunet's eyes began to slowly close and he failed to see the seven people's eyes widen.

"W-What did he extremely mean by that?"

"Oi! Get it together!"

"Those herbivores must have injected something deadly into those tubes just in cases…"

"N-No way…"

The brunet was vaguely aware of someone take out a sharp weapon and everyone else standing back.

CRASH!

The sword slashed through the glass and the brunet felt the water drain out of his container. He felt himself hanging loosely on his chains and tubes.

SLASH!

Suddenly those tubes and chains were cut and he found himself falling… falling…

Several pairs of arms caught him before he fell unto the broken glasses. By this time, he could hardly open his eyes.

"It's okay, you're safe now… You don't have to worry, we'll protect you…" Someone murmured to him and he felt himself lose consciousness.

He felt someone lift him gently as the others crowded around him.

"He's extremely short isn't he…?"

"He's pale too."

"Kufufu, I wonder what type of person he is…"

"Probably another herbivore…"

The voices began to distort in the brunet's ears as he fell into a deep unconscious state. But one voice penetrated his thoughts before he completely lost his consciousness.

"Sleep well, Sawada Tsunayoshi…"

* * *

He had been in that cold prison for as long as he could remember. His mother… his father… Who were they? He didn't know them… He could never know them… The Vindice probably killed them when they took him. He had no sympathy or sadness for people he didn't remember…

All his life, his only companions were chains, tubes, the cold water, his container… Inanimate objects were the only ones he considered company. People were like a faraway dream for him. Freely walking anywhere they like, freely talking, fighting, making friends, making enemies… living…

He, himself, was like an inanimate object. A non-living thing, a backdrop whose only use was to observe as people lived out their lives and die…

Of course, he knew that he would die one day too. But when death was brought up, the only thoughts he could think of was how nice it was to finally be free from his prison…

Blank brown eyes fluttered open, expecting the usual feeling of coldness enveloping his body, expecting the usual chains digging into his skin, expecting the usual tubes stabbed into him, expecting the usual mask covering half of his face, expecting to see the stone walls and the stone cold floor…

What he didn't expect was to see a canopy on top of him, to feel warmth instead of cold, to feel the softness of a mattress and pillows instead of chains, to feel his sore skin instead of tubes numbing the pain, to feel nothing blocking his mouth from speaking, to see grand walls and curtained windows…

He was so surprised, so overwhelmed by his surroundings that his body froze up for several seconds. Where was he? Why wasn't he chained up like usual?

And then memories of what happened attacked him. Flashes of what he thought were merely dreams brought up by a mentally sick mind overcame his thoughts and he realized that _those _people really _did _free him… really _did_ save him…

An unknown feeling (was it gratitude?) welled up inside him and to his astonishment he felt something wet run down his cheeks.

Numb arms moved and barely moving fingers wiped away the warm liquid that seemed to come from his eyes.

What was this strange phenomenon? He was leaking… Was he broken like how his container was when it had a crack?

Suddenly noises caught his attention (his ears were sharper without the water blocking them), footsteps slowly approaching the place where he was at, could be heard.

"I want to see him, Reborn."

"I understand kyuudaime, but he's very frail at the moment. Being the tank for twelve or more years has really gotten to his body…"

"I understand, but I haven't seen him even once… not even when he was a baby. I just want to see my grandson…"

"Kyuudaime…"

Reborn? Kyuudaime? Were those names? How strange. He was actually in the outside world with these people with strange names…

The doors at the end of the room opened and all the brunet could do was stare at where he was lying down. An old man and a tall adult man entered his room together. They neared his bed and stopped when they were only a feet apart. All the while, his eyes (his usually closed eyes) followed their movements curiously.

"Hello Tsunayoshi-kun…" The old man greeted him with a smile.

A smile, he had never seen one before today. The people guarding him always had blank expressions and the only emotions they showed were anger and fear.

_Tsunayoshi… _The brunet's lips formed those words. Was that his name? Did he really have a name like everybody else?

"What's wrong? Can't you speak?" The tall adult man this time was the one who spoke.

"I-I'm…" The brunet's voice was so quiet, he barely said anything. The old man and the adult had to strain their ears to hear him. "T-Tsunayoshi…" He tried once more, a little louder perhaps. "I-Is t-that m-my name?"

The eyes of the two adults widened at his question. The old man's eyes softened while the other tilted his fedora to hide his shock. The old man placed a hand on the brunet's pale hands. It was so warm…

"Yes, that is your name. Sawada Tsunayoshi…" He said kindly as he held the brunet's hand. "Do you like it? Your parents gave it to you when you were born…"

Tsuna-Tsunayoshi- stared at them for a moment before suddenly his vision began to blur and he felt again the strange sensation of something warm running down his cheeks. His lips twitched and he copied the smile the old man gave him. "I-I actually have a-a name… T-That makes m-me happy…"

The old man's eyes widened once more before they softened and he patted Tsuna's frail hands. "Yes you do. I hope you treasure that name."

Tsuna nodded. It was the only thing he could do. He had exhausted his vocal chords fairly quickly and his body felt sore all over.

"It looks like he needs more rest kyuudaime." Reborn said as he placed a hand on the Ninth's shoulder.

The Ninth nodded as he let go of Tsuna's hands. "Be well Tsunayoshi. I'll see you again later…"

Tsuna's eyes began to close as the ninth and Reborn walked out of the room. The famous hitman gave Tsuna one last look before his eyes shadowed.

"What a sad child."

* * *

Reborn waited patiently as he sat by the window in one of his famous leather armchairs. He was waiting for the arrival of the people who were responsible for freeing the ninth's long lost grandson.

The door sounded and Reborn smirked as it opened. One by one, seven teens entered and sat themselves on the chairs available in front of the renowned hitman.

"Well done." Reborn spoke as the door closed and the last teen came to sit in front of him. "The ninth is very pleased with the recovery mission, you should be proud."

There were small murmurs at that and Reborn tilted his fedora up as he stared at the seven people he had trained. "Of course, as a show of appreciation, the ninth has given me the task of presenting to you these…"

The hitman stood up and approached them. He took a box from inside his pocket and placed it in front of the teens. He opened it slowly and someone gasped. Seven rings met their sights.

"The ninth decided to place you in the position of guardians. He wants you to protect his grandson." Reborn said.

"Oya, finally we have reached the long awaited position."

"Yes, Mukuro-sama."

"R-Right-hand man position, here I come!"

"Haha! How interesting!"

"Extreme! A guardian!"

"Yare, yare…"

"Hmph, I do not care for trivial positions."

Reborn looked at the skylark, Hibari Kyoya, who said that and smirked. "As you all know, the Vindice will go after their escaped prisoner. So I hope you guard you new charge well."

The skylark's eyes narrowed at the word _Vindice_.

"Only guardians can go after them of course." Reborn taunted and the skylark gave in.

Once everyone had their rings, (Rokudo Mukuro and Chrome Dokuro had identical mist rings)Reborn closed the box and placed it back in his pocket. "Tomorrow, you will meet with the ninth and his grandson and will be formally introduced to him. Be on your best behavior."

"Uhm, Reborn-san…" The silver-haired Italian, Gokudera Hayato, in the group raised his hand. "About that kid-"

"Refer to him as boss or jyuudaime…" Reborn reminded the other.

"-Yes, jyuudaime… What's the story about him…?" The Italian asked and everyone murmured as they also voiced their questions.

"He is the long-lost grandson of Timoteo, the Ninth Vongola, what else is there to say?" Reborn said.

"Like, how did he end up in that extreme place called Vendi- Verden- Ven-" The bleach-haired teen, Ryohei Sasagawa, began.

"Vendicare." Hibari finished the sentence.

"Right! That one!" Ryohei said.

Reborn tilted his fedora down, shadowing his eyes. "I'm not sure how he ended up there as well. All I know is that one day, Iemitsu and his family suddenly vanished and the Ninth's been looking for them ever since."

"I heard, they found Iemitsu's body years ago…" A teen in a cow-print shirt, Lambo Bovino, said.

"Yes, along with his wife Sawada Nadeshiko." Reborn said gravely. "Their only son's body however, was missing and the Ninth never gave up looking for his only heir and grandson."

"That's when we got intel from Lal Mirch and the CEDEF that a teenage boy resembling Sawada Nadeshiko was seen in the deepest underground prison in Vendicare." A black-haired teen, Yamamoto Takeshi, stated.

"And while, Vindice was away taking care of some business we snuck in and freed Boss." Chrome said in a small tone.

"And that's the whole story." Reborn stated. "And now, it's your job to protect him in cases Vindice comes to collect him again."

"But why did he have to be sealed in the deepest parts of Vendicare?" Mukuro asked.

"That, I don't know." Reborn said. "They were really careful in hiding him."

The guardians became quiet as they contemplated this information.

"Let's leave that for later." Reborn said after several seconds of silence. "For now, why don't you all go back to training? You still have a long way to go…"

"Yes, Reborn-san."

**End of Chapter**

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**Author's note: **I hope everyone enjoys this from the bottom of my heart. Thank you very much for readin!


	2. Beyond the Glass Prison

**Read: **The guardians and boss interaction starts here. It's true Tsuna may not know a lot of the outside world and he may also not know a lot about emotions but he'll learn a lot of things pretty soon because I'm not really the type of writer to make a teenager act like a newborn baby. Also, YES Tsuna knows how to speak, technically he learned it while he was imprisoned because what else do you do when you're stuck in a glass case for most of your life? But he may not know words like: 'happiness', 'hope', and all those other words with vague similarities to these two.

**Setting:** This is all happening in the Vongola Mansion in Italy. However this isn't the grand castle everyone had seen in the anime. It's a secret vacation manor somewhere in Venice rather than Sicily because the ninth is trying to hide his grandson who is no doubt being pursued by the mafia law makers.

**Warning: **Not really angsty since Tsuna has yet to know how to be angsty and happy and all that. He's like, all emotionless (not really emotionless) and he can't understand feelings yet. So well, he doesn'tknow why he's anxious, why he's crying, why everyone is looking at him with pity, so yeah the not-so angst _angst _is there. Readers may feel sad for him. You have been warned!

Also, this anime is not owned by me!

* * *

_**Chained Away**_

_Man was born free, and he is everywhere in chains._ **-****Jean-Jacques Rousseau**

* * *

**II. **_Beyond the Glass Prison_

For the whole day, Tsuna was vaguely aware and at the same time unaware of what was happening. He would often pass out and then suddenly wake up again due to nervousness at being in an unfamiliar place.

Being outside of his container was strange to him. He no longer had to rely in the nutrition he got from his tubes, a thing he learned when a maid came in to feed him. It was a memorable experience, chewing, drinking and tasting different types of 'food' as called by the maid.

And he also had the time to fully appreciate bathing as well. Another thing he learned when a maid came in holding a 'towel' and 'bathrobe' for him. The warm water from the bath tub and the bubbles from the soap and shampoo made him feel cleaner than he had for years.

But still, he had a problem with water. Specifically cold water. Whenever he would go near it, his mind would blank out and he would feel that he was back in his human-sized container once more.

Little by little, the sores and numbness he felt all over his body were dissipating. He learned that he had been knocked out for a week after being freed and the bed rest was doing his body wonders. All his life, he'd been served constant anesthetics, so his body was something he could never control or move…

The brunet looked up at the ceiling with a blank expression. On the inside he was trying to memorize his own name. _Sawada Tsunayoshi… Sawada Tsunayoshi… Sawada Tsunayoshi… Sawada Tsunayoshi… _He repeated again and again.

Slowly, his eyes began to droop and he felt sleepy. The truth was he didn't want to sleep, he wanted to know more, look around more in this strange new place… in this outside world… However, his body had needs and he had to eventually succumb to them.

* * *

His dreams started like it was a movie waiting to be played.

The images, the scenes were vivid… the color so bright it blinded him. He couldn't make out what was happening. All he knew was that someone was crying, someone was screaming, all he could see was red, all he could feel were cold hands trying to grab him, to get him away from two unfamiliar people.

The screaming continued and then with a jolt, Tsuna realized that the one screaming was actually him.

The scene had changed, the vivid red was still the only color that stood out in his dream. He was strapped down, tied down into a cold surface. He felt pinpricks in his arms, he was trashing, trying to get away from his bonds…

He wanted to die _so badly…_

And then the pain ended. This time ,everything was cold and dark… The feeling of chains cutting the blood circulation in his wrists and the feeling of tubes stabbed into his skin was familiar… Was he back in Vendicare?

The cold liquid around him swirled and he couldn't see anything… He couldn't breathe… Was he drowning? Where was his mask? Was he finally going to die?

Suddenly the glass cage he was in broke and he hung by the chains and tubes that kept him in place. He could feel the glass cutting his feet, pricking him, and he could see that he was bleeding…

He was shivering, cold from the immersion in the water, his whole body hurt from the tubes and the chains, his eyes were blurry and burning from the water… He couldn't see, he couldn't hear…

_Someone save me…_

Somehow, the scene shifted. No longer was he hung by the chains and the tubes, this time he was hung by ropes and his face was covered by a cloth and around his neck, he could feel a thick rope…

_This is your execution…_

There was a stool underneath him. He knew that if he lost his balance or if it was pulled from under him, then that would truly be the end for him.

Suddenly, the stool disappeared from beneath his feet and he could feel himself pulled down by gravity.

Tsuna's mouth opened in a silent scream and then-

He woke up.

The brunet panted as sweat ran down his forehead. His eyes were wide and blank as he stared around for the executioner or anything related to his dream…

But nothing…

He was still in the grand bedroom with a canopy, with curtained windows, soft blankets and pillows…

Tsuna shook his head, trying to get rid of that memory. Just as he did that, the door to his bedroom opened.

* * *

The next time they saw Tsuna, was when the ninth called for them in his office. The old man was standing with the usual cane in his hand as he entered and beside him was Tsuna on a wheelchair with a blanket on his lap. He was dressed in pajamas and had no footwear.

The seven newly appointed guardians bowed at the Ninth Vongola while Tsuna stared at the ground with blank eyes. Some of the guardians exchanged looks at this. He seemed paler than when he was in the Vendicare prison… Was he alright?

"Tsunayoshi-kun seemed to have had a nightmare." Timoteo answered their unspoken question. He placed an arm around the silent brunet's shoulder. He looked at his only grandson kindly. "Tsunayoshi-kun, these are the people who saved you from Vendicare. Why don't you greet them?"

At the word 'save' and 'Vendicare', Tsuna looked up and stared at the seven people in front of him. An image of the seven shadows that saved him in his isolated prison entered his mind.

Tsuna opened his mouth and he said in a silent voice. "W-Were you…? A-Are you… the ones… w-who s-saved me?"

"Yes, that was us." Gokudera said, answering in behalf of his fellow guardians. Mukuro looked smug.

Tsuna processed what Gokudera said and then he asked, "Why?"

There was silence.

"Tsunayoshi-kun, are you regretful that they saved you?" Timoteo asked with a hurt expression. Tsuna shook his head slowly.

"I j-just…" Tsuna said weakly as he blinked his tired eyes. "I-I wondered… why after so ma-many y-years s-someone f-finally came f-for me…" Tsuna said and he stared at the guardians with blank eyes. "A-And I-I don't know t-them t-too…"

"We were ordered to by your grandfather." Hibari was the one who answered.

Tsuna blinked. "I-I see…" And then he smiled uncertainly, crinkled brows and all, at them. "T-Thank you…?"

There was another stunned silence.

"Y-You're welcome." Yamamoto answered back.

Timoteo smiled. "Saa… Tsunayoshi-kun, would you like to go outside?"

Tsuna looked up in confusion at the old man. "A-Aren't I a-already outside…?"

Timoeteo's eyes widened. "What do you mean…?"

"I'm… I-I'm no longer in my glass container…" Tsuna whispered quietly. "So I-I'm already outside r-right?"

The ninth's eyes softened. "There's another type of outside Tsunayoshi-kun." And then he looked up at the seven who were watching. "Why don't you show Tsunayoshi-kun to the garden?"

The seven guardians bowed at the request.

"Let's go jyuudaime…" Gokudera said as he stepped forward to roll Tsuna's wheelchair.

Tsuna wanted to know who this 'jyuudaime' was but his vocal chords were tired from talking so he just nodded as Gokudera wheeled him out of the door. The Ninth watched them with kind eyes and when they were gone, Reborn stepped out from where he was hiding.

"Reborn." The ninth's eyes were shadowed. "Have you found the people responsible for Tsunayoshi-kun's kidnapping yet? And why the Vindice trapped him in Vendicare after finding him?"

"Not yet." Reborn said seriously. "But we're close, I can feel it."

"Good."

* * *

The moment they stepped 'outside' Tsuna was blinded easily by the sunlight and the bright sky.

"I-I can't see…" Tsuna said as he covered his eyes. "W-What i-is that-?"

Lambo took a pair of shades from his pocket and put them on Tsuna's face. The brunet blinked when he was able to see much clearer.

"It's the extreme sun!" Ryohei shouted and then he added in confusion. "Haven't you ever since it before?"

"Sun?" Tsuna whispered the new word. "Should I know about that?"

Yamamoto and Gokudera exchanged looks.

"Of course! It's like an awesome ball of fire that makes plants and people extremely ALIVE!" Ryohei shouted into the open.

Tsuna looked up and despite the shades, the sun still blinded him so he looked at the clouds floating by instead. "And those white things?"

"They're clouds." Hibari said with crossed arms.

"When clouds get really heavy and gray they can make rain…" Yamamoto joined in with a smile.

"Rain?"

"Yes, it's when water fall from the sky…" Yamamoto explained.

"Sky…" Tsuna repeated.

"The blue space you see up there is the sky." Gokudera said. "But sometimes when there's a storm, the sky gets covered by clouds."

"There are thunders and lightning sometimes when there's a storm." Lambo commented lazily. "Lightning is a flash of light, thunder is the huge 'boom' that follows after lightning."

"Storm…thunder... lightning…"

"Kufufufu, don't forget about the mist now…" Mukuro stated.

"Mist…"

The seven guardians and Tsuna continued to take a leisurely walk down the green patch of grass until they reached the garden. Chrome picked some flowers and gave them to the brunet.

Tsuna looked at the bundle of flowers in his arms. "These are…?"

"They're flowers boss…" Chrome said and Tsuna touched them.

"Flowers…" Tsuna said and then his eyes softened. "They're beautiful…" Tsuna looked up at the sky. "Being outside, i-is nice."

The guardians were silent as they observed their frail boss.

"I wonder…" Tsuna whispered. "I wonder if I can stay…?"

"Of course you can!" Yamamoto said, breaking the silence that followed after the uncertain question. "You can be here if you want! You have the right to stay…"

Tsuna looked up at Yamamoto and at the other people behind him, nodding in agreement. The brunet smiled at them, only a small quirk of his lips that emphasized the dark bags under his eyes. "That's a relief."

Somehow the seven guardians felt their chests constrict in pain at the tired look on the other's face. They could only imagine the sadness and mental depression being in a tank for most of his life was like.

But the brunet, who was oblivious to the thoughts of the guardians, just focused on picking the petals of the colorful flower given to him. However, everyone jumped when a sudden grumbling sound was heard. Tsuna blinked.

"Saa, Sawada Tsunayoshi you must be hungry?" Mukuro said to the brunet who looked up.

"Hungry?" Tsuna patted his stomach. "Is that what you call the empty feeling here?"

"Yeah, it means you need some food." Yamamoto grinned as he went behind the brunet's wheelchair. "Why don't we go and eat?"

"I'll alert the chefs." Gokudera said dutifully as he rushed off.

Tsuna looked at Gokudera's disappearing back and gazed questioningly at the sun guardian.

"He's just off to prepare your food for you." Ryohei said kindly to the brunet with a grin.

Tsuna lifted his pale arms that had pinprick marks. "Like an injection?" The guardians frowned at the marks on the brunet's skin. Chrome took hold of the thin arm and covered the marks from Tsuna's sight. The brunet looked up at her in contemplation.

"No, boss. Real food. Now that you're strong enough, you can eat some solid food." Chrome stated as she kneeled down to the brunet and looked him in the eyes.

"Real food…" Tsuna repeated tiredly. "Huh… I never knew there was something like that before…"

"There is. And real food is more delicious and more filling than the ones you get in a dextrose." Lambo said with a yawn. "Let's get going?"

"Hurry up herbivores, I don't have all day." Hibari had already walked off and with a chuckle, Yamamoto and the other guardians followed him, rolling the brunet's wheelchair forward.

**End of Chapter**

* * *

**Notes: **Yes, it's a small scenario where Tsuna has a touching scene with the guardians. It's a calm before the storm thing. As the chapters go on, Tsuna will remember bits and pieces of his past through his nightmares and also he'll learn more about each of his guardians and the heavy pasts they carried with them. Since he's inexperienced and doesn't know much about emotions, will he be able to help them as well?

However, as Tsuna focuses on them, and while they're caught in their own little problems, they forget that among all of them, Tsuna is the one that needs to be saved the most.

**Important: **Thank you very much for the wonderful reviews. I feel very honored *bows to show the honored feelings* I'm sorry this took a while. Things are hectic in school, I'll try to update sometime next week and I hope everyone waits patiently until then. Your question will all be answered soon, the reviews were all amazing, everyone was really amazing too! Thank you very much, please review if you have time!


	3. Veil of Glass

**Read: **I noticed I haven't mentioned their age at all. Thank you **Fiana Ocrisielt**-san for pointing it out. Everyone here is about **16- 17 years old**. Anymore questions regarding the fic is welcome, but there are other questions that will be answered as the fic progresses, so please stay tuned.

**Title:** This chapter is entitled 'Veil of Glass' which represents an invisible wall (or cloth) between Tsuna and his guardians. I called it veil instead because this type of 'wall' cannot be broken down by the mere force of slamming your fist or some object onto it. It's like an invisible cloth that adapts to a situation, something no one can grasp unless they happen to touch it.

**Warning: **Be prepared for a cold and remote Gokudera. We may be used to seeing him following Tsuna around, but I'm gonna remind you that in this fic they they are _strangers_ right now. You might be confused as to why I posted this statement when you read the first part of the story, but you will learn the reason later on. Also, a bit of Chrome's self-doubtfulness is written in there as well.

This anime is not owned by me. Happy readings!

* * *

_**Chained Away  
**__People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within. -_**Elisabeth Kubler-Ross**

* * *

**III.** _Veil of Glass_

"I'm sorry." Tsuna apologized as he laid on his bed tiredly, looking up at the faces of the seven people who had saved him. His tired chestnut colored eyes landed on Gokudera who was tucking him into his blankets. After eating, he had immediately felt tired, and thanks to the guardians' sharp eyes, they had noticed it and escorted him back to his room.

"Don't apologize, boss." Chrome piped up from behind, her visible eye looking over the thing brunet. "Your body is still tired from being suspended from water, it's not your fault."

"Haha, that's right!" This time it was Yamamoto who was leaning against the door, who said this. "Your immune system is still too weak as well, so we really can't let you be out for too long."

"As your EXTREME guardians we have to look out for you!" Ryohei shouted causing Tsuna to flinch and Lambo to hit him square on the ribs as Gokudera glared. The sun guardian ducked his head at the reaction and mumbled a normal voiced apology.

Tsuna blinked at them before slowly nodding but then he paused before saying in a soft voice of confusion, "Excuse me but, what do you mean by 'look out for you'?"

The guardians in the room stared at him before exchanging looks.

"It means to protect you or to care for your well-being…" Lambo said with a raised eyebrow. Tsuna's eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"Protect?"

"It's when you keep someone safe, away from injury, sickness, or hurt." Mukuro, this time, answered.

"That…" Tsuna stated as he looked up at the canopy of his bed. "…is a strange word."

There was silence as Tsuna slowly closed his eyes. Suddenly the brunet felt a hand on his forehead. It was a cold hand but it was big and somewhat comforting. The Vongola's eyes fluttered open.

Gokudera was looking down at him with sad green eyes. The combination of green and silver colors blurred in Tsuna's line of sight as he blinked.

"It isn't strange. It's what _we _will do for you as your guardians." Gokudera said in a soft and serious tone. "We swore an oath to keep you safe and we will stick by it."

Tsuna's lips twitched, maybe a bit mockingly, as though he couldn't believe that anyone would keep _him _safe. "I… see…"

Hibari's eyebrows furrowed, as he looked at the weak herbivore on the bed. Everyone else also looked confused at the statement, and it was Yamamoto who asked the question in everyone's mind.

"Don't you believe that we can?"

Tsuna merely closed his eyes in reply as he let out soft breathes as though his consciousness was sinking into slumber. The guardians waited for a few moments in silence, but when Tsuna said nothing more, they began to file out of the room one by one, looking at the brunet with a mixture of confusion and in Mukuro and Hibari's case, frustration.

Gokudera removed his hand from the abnormally warm forehead of his boss. He looked at his hand wondering why he did such an intimate act for a person he barely knew and was his superior.

An image of a woman with silver hair and warm hands patting him on the head flashed before his eyes, and Gokudera scowled as he got up to leave. He closed his hand into a fist as he began to walk out of the room as well. He ignored, Chrome who was staring at him as he left.

He was in the Vongola for a reason. He wanted to become the right-hand man for a reason.

He couldn't forget the reason he came here.

Chrome watched a conflicted Gokudera exit the room, before she turned her visible violet eye at the mysterious figure on the bed. She jumped in shock when her vision replaced the majestic king-sized canopy bed with a hospital bed and the thin figure of their boss became a small little girl covered in bandages.

_Don't you believe that we can?_

Chrome's violet eye dimmed at the question. Everyone in the room was sure they had the capabilities to protect the frail person on that bed, while she…

She wasn't even sure if she should be here.

Everyone was so much stronger than her, and also she was the only girl. She carried a different burden from the others, a life threatening one only Mukuro, and maybe even Hibari and Reborn, knew.

Placing a hand on her stomach, Chrome turned to leave. Her thoughts shifting from the depressing to another subject:

Tsuna's response on the earlier question.

His silence and the quirk of his lips seemed slightly mocking and yet somewhat sad as well.

_We swore an oath to keep you safe and we will stick by it._

It's true that they did swear an oath, but Chrome had a feeling that every one of her fellow guardians had different reasons for being here. She had a feeling that protecting the brunet was the last item in their to-do list.

Chrome paused by the door as she looked at Tsuna's still figure once more.

Had the Vongola somehow sensed that as well? Had he known that they were all guardians for personal gain rather than for protecting him? Did he not _believe _in them?

Chrome shook her head at her thoughts as she stepped passed the door.

_It's been a while, since I believed in anything._

The girl froze at the voice that passed through her like a sharp needle passing through skin. Her wide violet eye turned to look at Tsuna who was clearly unconscious on the bed. She blinked when silence continued to reign around her and she placed a hand on her heart feeling the fast pace of beats due to her shock…

…and also at the tone of the voice.

It was a sad voice. Bitter, frustrated, but mostly sad. And the sad tone had pierced her more than the words itself. It had affected her more than any injury or sickness.

It was like a plague of loneliness was eating out her heart.

"My dear Chrome?"

That was Mukuro-sama's voice, no doubt calling out to her to hurry.

Realizing that she had inconvenienced the other, she closed the door to their boss' room quickly before jogging through the hallways to catch up with the other mist guardian.

The last thing on her thoughts was that, the voice she heard was similar to that time when they had saved Tsuna who had spoken to them through the veil of glass.

* * *

He could feel it. The cold metal digging into his skin, keeping him in one place as he tried to struggle.

He could hear it. The familiar sound of someone screaming again and again until he exhausted his vocal chords.

He didn't understand any of it. The screaming, the chains… The words garbled and mixed up into crying, sobs, broken breathing…

He could feel the tug of his heart strings, something telling him in the back of his mind that he _should _understand the feeling of the person shouting in the background, that he _should _fear the feeling of being contained, of being chained…

…_Too dangerous…_

_Can't… keep alive-_

_Lock him up…._

…_for good-_

And then hands. Rough hands grabbed his already chained arms and another ne closed his mouth, making him realize, with a jolt, that the one shouting was himself.

Like before.

He was dragged, kicking and screaming, against the cold unforgiving floor. He tried his best to struggle, to break free… and for some reason he could feel warm tears running down his face as he realized how futile it was to struggle, how, no matter what he did, he will never get free.

…_He will never be free_.

The thought seemed to have scared the brunet more than he thought. He could feel the coldness pressing against him as his body, wracking in sobs and deep breathes. He was struggling, moving around as much as he could to get the chains and the hands loose. He was desperate to break away, but from what… even he didn't know.

But then, as he struggled a sharp pain suddenly descended on him on his back.

Brown eyes widened and Tsuna let out a muffled pained scream at the assault. Another sharp pain, and the brunet realized on the back of his mind that for God-knows reasons, he was being whipped by someone.

The pain grew intense as the young teen felt the same spots on his back being whipped over and over again. He could already feel something warm running down on his back as he clenched his fists at the pain. His knuckles were white, eyes teary and bloodshot, and his vocal chords almost exhausted.

_An X on his back…_

…_Befitting a mafia don._

He laid on the floor, bleeding, spent, tears still running down his pale cheeks. His back felt numb, he couldn't move his upper body in fear of the pain that will shoot up his spine if he did. But apparently he didn't have a choice on that matter, this was the brunet's thought as someone stepped on the newly made X scar on his back. He let out a hoarse scream, voice ripping from his throat as the person behind him embedded his foot on the X scar.

He felt a hand on his neck and brown eyes flicked up unwillingly at the face of his assailant. Shadows covered the face and he couldn't see because of the tears, but in the back of the brunet's mind, he thought it didn't matter.

This person… Won't live very long anyway.

_I'll kill you… Like how I killed your beloved parents._

And Tsuna felt something in him break at those words.

Physical torture had been hell. Being chained, drugged, threatened had hurt him and tired him out not only physically but mentally as well.

But to be told that the only people you were trying to live for, had already died?

It was too much.

It was too _too_ much.

And suddenly, Tsuna's vision became red.

* * *

The brunet woke up with a start, blinking his eyes rapidly in the dark as he shook uncontrollably. He looked around at the dark room and when his eyes saw the canopy hanging overhead, he felt himself relax slightly.

He was safe.

He wasn't in the Vendicare, he wasn't lying on a cold, hard, unforgiving floor, crying…

He was safe.

Tsuna laid there in the dark for a few seconds, blinking rapidly as he felt the sensation of warm liquid dripping down from his eyes. He reached up trying to wipe them away, when he suddenly felt his hands and body constricted in movement.

For a few seconds, Tsuna could feel panic settle in his heart as he struggled desperately to get out of his binds. His breathe came out in puffs as though he was hyperventilating. He could feel fear gripping him as he tried to get out of his binds even in his weakened state.

His voice came out it desperate whimpers, slowly getting louder in frustration with every passing second when suddenly-

Suddenly he was free.

Brown eyes blinked in relief and slight confusion as Tsuna sat up to observe what had happened. He looked down on his body and realized that the thing constricting him had been merely a blanket. He had somehow managed to cocoon himself as he was writhing on the bed. The brunet kicked the offending cloth away warily and he felt sweat trickle down his forehead from exhaustion.

The frail figure began to shiver, as images of his latest dream assaulted him.

He didn't know what to think of it. His mind was still too fuzzy to get the gist of whether that was a memory or a dream. The emotions in them were so intense and so out of sync with the feelings he carried now. He just couldn't understand anything anymore.

The screaming, the crying, the struggling…

The person in his dream was so different from his current self- always desperately fighting. Presently, ever since waking up outside of his prison, his body and soul felt too tired to the point where Tsuna was ready to lie down and sleep forever.

He had even wished at one point that the guardians hadn't butted in and cut the tubes before the sedatives could kill him.

All he wanted, was eternal peace.

Shaking his head, the brunet began to look around, wishing that he could get up and see what the 'outside' looked like during the cold night. However, he was distracted from these thoughts when he heard soft and soothing sounds enter his bedroom.

Brown eyes widened at the strange tone before looking around to find anything that would help him stand. The brunet saw his wheel chair a few feet away, but he knew he couldn't get to it without collapsing. He looked around more and saw some strange objects propped up on the side of his bed.

Raising a delicate eyebrow, Tsuna reached out to take them in his hands.

I think his grandfather called these strange objects, crutches.

* * *

A door was ajar at the end of the hallway, and that was Tsuna's destination as he hobbled down the hallways in discomfort. His legs felt useless and foreign, like they were not a part of his body, and he was having trouble coordinating his strides even with the crutches supporting him. His arms felt weak as they struggled to balance the strength Tsuna applied to them as he held on to the objects supporting him.

When the brunet was a few feet away, the beautiful sounds stopped and harsh cursing was heard. Tsuna jumped in surprised when he heard bitter notes, loud in volume, suddenly come out of the room and he let go of his crutches and fell down in shock.

"H-Hie-!" Tsuna yelped as he fell on his butt and his crutches fell around him noisily.

The sounds in the room before him became silent and a wary but familiar voice called out, "Whose there?"

Tsuna only had time to open his mouth before there were quick footsteps and a scowling face met his sight.

Oh.

It was the strange teen with green eyes and silver-hair. What was his name again?

Green eyes of distrust softened into surprise and slight apprehension when they saw a certain brunet sprawled on the floor. With a respecting and begrudging tone, the silver-haired teen kneeled down and said, "Jyuudaime, you were awake? I'm sorry, did my playing wake you?"

Tsuna merely blinked up at the strange word. "Playing?"

Gokudera looked at his boss tiredly as he nodded in a rough voice. "Yes, I was playing the piano."

"Piano…" Tsuna said as he turned to the door, head tilting and brown eyes softening in wonder. "That was the sound I heard."

Gokudera scratched his cheek in discomfort, wondering if the young brunet would tell the ninth of the him disturbing the teen's rest because of his piano playing. "Y-Yes."

Tsuna looked up at Gokudera and gave the other a small uncertain smile. "Thank you…?"

Green eyes blinked as they looked down at Tsuna. "What?" Gokudera said stupidly, which was a real shock for anyone who knew him, since the Italian was considered a genius, especially in vocabulary.

"For the sounds…" Tsuna nodded towards the piano room.

And Gokudera's eyebrows crinkled. "You mean the music?"

Tsuna nodded with a slight hum. "The _beautiful_ music." He added. "It made me feel… Uhm…" Tsuna tried to find the correct word and Gokudera supplied it for him.

"Better?"

"Yes, better." Tsuna nodded as he looked at the room a few feet away from him. Gokudera grunted, taking the words as a compliment from his boss. "But…" Gokudera flinched when clear brown eyes turned to him, trying to discern his face. "It felt… s-sad?"

It was like someone punched Gokudera in the gut. Images of his mother playing the piano entered his mind. He remembered when he was a child how he always prodded and commented his mother about her playing.

_Why does your music always make me feel so sad?_

And the woman in his memories just smiled at him. At the time Gokudera didn't know the conflict and loneliness behind that smile. He didn't understand how mocking it was to call his mother's troubles merely 'sad'.

"I don't like the sad tone…" Tsuna shook his head cluelessly, unknowing of the way Gokudera's fists clenched at his words. "Are you sad? C-Can I do something to help you?"

"Sad…" The silver-head teen gritted his teeth as he stood up, face hardening with rage. The brunet had unknowingly touched a nerve. "SAD? What do you know about sadness, _decimo_?" He said, his voice coming out harsher than he expected. Tsuna flinched at the loud tone as his eyes widened.

"You don't even know what the sky is, what the storm is…! How could you know about something as complicated as being _sad_?" The Italian said as his fists clenched and his eyes shadowed. "You don't know anything... You were trapped in that hell prison protected from the harsh reality… You don't know what it's like to lose someone important, to feel like your heart is openly bleeding even until now…"

Tsuna froze at those words and he felt like something ice ran down his spine.

_I'll kill you… Like how I killed your beloved parents._

Brown eyes shadowed as Gokudera glared down at the teen. He saw Tsuna, but at the same time he saw someone else. It was like he was back to that day he ran away from everything. The day he turned his back on his family. "Don't pretend that you know me! Don't you dare tell me that _my_ playing is 'sad' because it's more complicated than that! You don't understand anything!" He closed his eyes. A girl with green eyes and pink hair was looking at him in worry and tears in her eyes.

There was silence as Gokudera finally simmered down, his fiery eyes becoming cold as he opened them and clenched his fists on his side. He looked down at the small brunet still on the floor.

Tsuna spoke up, his figure subtly shaking. "I-"

But Gokudera didn't let his boss finish as he pursed his lips. He turned around and started to walk away. "Good night _Decimo_…" He said in a cold and harsh tone, leaving the boy alone on the cold floor.

A tear fell down from brown eyes just as Gokudera turned the corner.

* * *

The next day, a frantic maid found Tsuna still on the floor with an unreadable look on his face, his hands white and shivering from the cold morning air.

**End of Chapter**

* * *

**Notes: **It looks like the chapter was a bit longer this time. I'm sorry if that made it a pain to read *bows apologetically*. Anyway, yes, we got to see another glimpse of Tsuna's mysterious past. Of course the brunet doesn't know this, merely interpreting everything as a bad dream, a nightmare. However if this keeps up, I'm not sure if Tsuna's mental stability will last, he could end up in a dangerous situation if this keeps up, and, of course, the only thing in my mind right now is whether or not the guardians will notice it in time.

Oh, and the _italicized_ words in the nightmare were spoken words of the people in it. Not Tsuna's thoughts...

I'm sorry if I depicted Gokudera as a bit cruel in here. But this just ensures a stronger bond between him and his boss in the future. We also got a glimpsed of his past, and if you're wondering why Gokudera exploded all of a sudden, well he was already in a bad mood before he even found Tsuna outside. Why? We will find it out on the next chapter.

So let us begin our journey with the storm, the other guardians will also interact with Tsuna in the future chapters and I hope everyone looks forward to them.

I'm sorry for any wrong spelling or wrong grammars, I'm trying my best to get better in writing by rereading my own stories and beta-ing it myself.

Thank you for all of the wonderful reviews! You guys are great and are the real inspiration of this story! If you do not mind, please review!


	4. The Storm Raged On

**Read: **Greetings again wonderful readers! Here is the next chapter! Almost half of this chapter will showcase Gokudera, the other half will be on the guardians and Chrome as they see Tsuna.

**Title: **So, the title of this chapter may or may not refer to Gokudera on this chapter. Actually, this title is more suited for the next chapter, but I think it's also suited here as well. It not refers to only Gokudera but to the other guardians as well, who each of something akin to a storm of feelings inside of them.

**Warning: **There will not be a Gokudera and Tsuna interaction on this part, but Gokudera will be talking about Tsuna and what happened last night. Also we will get to see a _tiny_ clue on the guardians' past and their real motives. Just a _tiny_ bit though. A lot of Guardians (except Gokudera) and Tsuna one-sided interaction though, if that pleases anyone.

This anime is not owned by me, happy readings!

* * *

_**Chained Away**_

_It is only in sorrow bad weather masters us; in joy we face the storm and defy it.__  
_**Amelia Barr**

* * *

**IV.** _The Storm Raged On_

It was a cloudy morning when the guardians came together for breakfast. Reborn had bluntly announced to them that today would be the first time they would be joining the ninth and his grandson for breakfast. Sawada Tsunayoshi's health, according to the doctors, was improving drastically. Normal people would have been immobilized and traumatized for a few years before they had started rehabilitating. However, the young Vongola heir seemed to have strong mental capabilities or either he just didn't understand how much of a trauma being inside an incased water prison was for most of his life, because it seemed to have taken him only a few months to recover at a steady rate.

Either way, the ninth was glad that his grandson was recovering in a fast pace and seemed to have decided to take his recovery a step further.

"I'm really happy you could join us today for our humble breakfast." Timoteo greeted the guardians who bowed at him respectively before sitting down on their seats. "Tsunayoshi has been in an almost comatose state for two months before I arrived to visit him. I'm so glad to see that he has become so healthy since then. And I have to you to thank for that."

"Maa, maa! It was nothing kyuudaime!" Yamamoto said with a wave of his hand. "Tsuna's become something like our little brother now anyway! Haha!"

The guardians quietly nodded their heads. Timoteo smiled at them, but his brown eyes were somewhat sad as it gazed onto each figure. He seemed to see a little deeper into the façade everyone had built up perfectly.

This observation was broken however, when Lambo suddenly spoke up. "Arre? Where's Gokudera-shi? I thought he'd be the first to arrive out of all of us."

At this statement, Ryohei and Yamamoto exchanged looks of curiosity, Hibari crossed his arms and huffed while muttering something about breaking the rules of conduct, while Chrome looked at Mukuro who shrugged, not knowing why the Italian still wasn't present.

Suddenly, the door opened and a certain silver-haired entered.

He had a scowl on his face, which was a surprise since the bomber was known for exercising restraint on his emotions, especially in front of the ninth Vongola boss. The newly appointed storm bowed stiffly at the ninth's direction before hurrying to his seat.

"Is there something wrong Hayato-kun? You seem to be in a bad mood." The ninth asked, wondering what could've broken the bomber's composure like that, and so early in the morning too.

"I-It's nothing kyuudaime." Gokudera's voice was more controlled as he sat down and looked down at his lap. The ninth could see clenched fists shaking in tension, and he decided not to pursue the subject any further.

Instead, the ninth looked at his watch with a sigh. "It's late. I wonder what's keeping Tsunayoshi-kun?" The ninth asked worriedly. His senses tingled in worry, he could _feel_ that something was wrong with the brunet. He was so distracted that he failed to see Gokudera tense ever so slightly at the name.

Just as he said that, the double-oaked doors opened a servant came in bowing hastily. Said servant stopped by the doorway when he noticed that the ninth was entertaining the guardians.

"It's fine." Timoteo said with a wave of his hand. "They are trusted friends. Tell me, has something happened to Tsunayoshi?" He said to the point, his brown eyes narrowing. The guardians shivered at the look while Gokudera hung his head.

"Y-Yes, Tsunayoshi-sama was found in the hallways early this morning. He seemed to have stayed there the whole night and is in shock." The servant gulped. Several pairs of eyes widened at the announcement and Timoteo was about to say something, when Gokudera suddenly stood up, his fists slamming into the table, clattering the utensils and glasses.

"WHAT? He was there the whole night?" The bomber explained, making his fellow guardians exchange glances at his queer statement and worry.

"Y-Yes…!" The servant squeaked nervously. "We have taken him to his room and found out he has developed a high f-fever! Because of the cold morning air and post traumatic stress, the young master is having a-an asthma attack!" The servant said hurriedly.

Gokudera's face paled and Ryohei intervened, looking at the bomber in the corner of his eyes. "Doctors… have you _extremely _sent out for doctors?"

"Yes, but it seems like a storm is brewing and it will take awhile before they-" Before the servant could finish, Ryohei shouted loudly as he jumped up and pumped his fist in the air.

"I see, then I will go and help Sawada with my_ extreme _sun flames before they get here!" Ryohei shouted before he looked at the ninth who gave an approving nod. Before anyone else knew it, the sun guardian was already rushing off to Tsuna's room with the servant in his heels.

"Everyone…" Timoteo said, calling the attention of the remaining guardians. The ninth was standing as he looked at each one of them gravely. "I'm sorry but it seems like our pleasant breakfast will have to be put on hold. I will go and call to see if there any other doctors who are nearby and can get here faster. If there are none, then I'll hope for the best from Nie." With that said, the ninth walked briskly out of the dining room. He paused by the doorway and turned to the guardians one more time. His brown eyes were sad, but understanding, as he said in a soft tone underlying with several hidden meanings. "Please do everything you can to help my grandson. He's the only family I have left."

The guardians jolted in surprise at the statement. However, before they could say anything, Timoteo had already left.

Silence.

"That's not fair…" Gokudera mumbled and the remaining guardians turned to look at the bomber who had slumped backed into his chair tiredly. "He knows we've all lost someone important… And he's using it to his advantage."

Yamamoto's jaw hardened at Gokudera's statement, Hibari closed his eyes, Lambo's eyes shadowed, while Chrome grabbed unto Mukuro who placed an arm around her.

"You did something, didn't you Gokudera?" Yamamoto was the one who spoke up. His tone was cold like ice, making the bomber stare at him in shock. It was the first time Yamamoto ever let down his façade. It was probably because of what Gokudera said. "Did you do something to the boss?"

The remaining guardians turned to look at him. The Italian felt like he wanted the ground to swallow him up. However he pushed down his fear and let the irritation out as he stated in a gruff tone, "He heard me playing last night. I don't know how, but somehow he managed to get to the piano room with only crutches. He looked like he could barely stand but…" The storm nibbled on his lower lip. "Anyway, he said some things and I got angry and left him there." He ran a hand through his silver locks. "Didn't expect him to have stayed there the whole night though. I guess he couldn't go back or something."

"Or he was in shock because of what you said." Lambo stated and the storm guardian gave him a glare that made him close his mouth hastily.

"You know better than to let your emotions loose Gokudera Hayato." Mukuro said with his creepy laugh. "Tell me, what was it about Sawada Tsunayoshi that had made you lose your cool?"

Gokudera gritted his teeth. "There was nothing. He couldn't understand, he would _never_ understand, which was why I got _pissed off_."

"Pathetic." Hibari said and Gokudera glared at the other.

"You can't expect him to understand you completely Gokudera." Yamamoto said in a calmer tone. "He's been trapped in that water prison for most of his life. He wouldn't get why you got angry but somehow he'd still understand that it was his fault. He's in a delicate mental stage, and you somehow tipped the balance and sent him spiraling into shock."

Gokudera closed his eyes and clasped his hands together, grasping them tightly until his knuckles were white. Lambo looked at the bomber in worry mixed with apprehension.

"T-There's nothing we can do about that now…" Chrome spoke up as she stood up and Mukuro followed her example. "W-We should go see how the boss i-is doing i-instead…"

The rest of the guardians except Hibari, Mukuro, and Gokudera nodded. They got up from their chairs and one by one filed out of the dining room. Yamamoto paused by the doorway and looked at Gokudera who hadn't gotten up from his seat at all.

"Aren't you coming?" No answer. The rain guardian sighed. "I thought you wanted to be the right hand man?" This got a reaction from the storm who flinched.

Stormy green eyes turned to meet calm amber ones. Yamamoto smiled innocently. "Remember? You said you'd somehow get into the second highest position in Vongola and all that. Didn't you want that? Going to check on our boss is very right hand man-like. If you really wanted to be the right hand man and give a good impression, you should go."

There was silence and Gokudera merely shook his head softly and Yamamoto just looked at him in quiet contemplation.

"I see." The rain guardian said as he turned. "Well, you should be careful. I might take the right hand man position from under your nose at this rate." Sharp amber eyes looked back at the storm. "I also want something from the Vongola you know."

With that, the door closed behind the swordsman as Gokudera stared blankly in front of him. His eyes shadowed as he leaned his head against his clasped hands.

"Lucky for you. _I_ don't even know what I _want_ anymore."

* * *

The storm had started to rage outside as Yamamoto made his way to the boss' room. He looked outside in contemplation, watching the wild winds forcefully making the tall and sturdy trees bend at their will. He turned to the double-oaked entrance of their boss' room and pushed it open.

He was immediately greeted by Ryohei's sun flames. The boxer was sweating slightly as he had both hands on Tsuna's chest. Yellow flames of high purity where enveloping his hands as Tsuna panted rapidly as he laid on the bed.

"How is he?" Yamamoto asked as he went to stand beside Chrome.

"Still having asthma attacks." Lambo was the one who answered. He was leaning against the wall. "We think that the storm's making it worse."

"Worse?"

"Remember? He has this phobia against cold water?"

"Oh."

"Kufufu, how pathetic." Mukuro said as he looked at the pale and frail figure of the tenth. "There are more frightening things than water merely falling from the sky." His heterochromatic eyes flashed at his words.

Seeing the tension the male illusionist exhibited, Yamamoto immediately signaled to one of the servants on standby. "Maa, maa Mukuro. Don't even think about using you illusions in this room." The rain guardian stated, but there was a steely tone in his voice that warned the other. "We're all just tense because we haven't had breakfast yet." He said loudly as he smiled kindly on the servant who approached him. "Can we ask you to bring some food over here, if it's not too much trouble?"

"H-Hai!" The servant said before turning to leave immediately.

Mukuro crossed his arms as Chrome placed a hand on his shoulder in worry. Hibari, who was by the window, huffed in annoyance.

There was silence as everyone watched Ryohei work for awhile. After a few seconds, the sun flames began to diminish slowly as Ryoehei retracted.

"T-That was an _extreme _asthma…" The boxer panted as he watched Tsuna slowly breathe in and out as he slept. Chrome could see the dark bags under his eyes, being emphasized by his pale skin.

"Has he…" She began slowly as she went by the boss' side. "Has he been sleeping well lately?" She placed against Tsuna's cold face. The brunet's eyebrows crunched up in discomfort at the warmth on his skin.

Lambo sighed as he shrugged in a careless manner. "Saa, who knows?"

Chrome's lips pursed a bit at the uncaring tone of the lightning guardian. She turned her visible eye at the guardians who were around the room, postures relaxed despite the fact that the brunet in the room was suffering. Her body trembled lightly, probably because of the cold air brought by the storm, or maybe because of old memories that stirred in her mind…

Uncaring people…

A small figure lying alone in a huge bed…

"S-Shouldn't you care…?" She said in a tone that made everyone look at her in wonder when she suddenly spoke. "Just a bit more… Shouldn't you care just a bit more about the boss?"

Everyone looked at her in confusion: some in disbelief, others in exasperation. She took back her hand from Tsuna's face and stared back defiantly at the guardians. Her eyes were burning a little bit as she met each and every stare with hurt and betrayed look, it was like she wasn't looking at them…

…It was like she was looking at some other people- possibly from the past, _her past_.

"I-If you never cared in the first p-place…" Her lips trembled as she felt her eye burn. Her stomach _hurt_ as it recalled a past pain, long gone but still there. "W-Why come here? I-Is it for appearance? D-Do you think you're f-fooling anyone to t-think that you a-actually care? I-Is it to make it seem l-like _our _family is p-perfect?"

And Chrome's heart sank when she realized she wasn't only referring to her new _mafia_ family…

Chrome rubbed her eyes when she felt the warm tears gathering there. She felt approaching footsteps but she got out of the way of the comforting hand.

Memories were overwhelming her again. Stronger than before, especially as she looked at the pale figure on the large bed. Betrayal, sadness, grief, loneliness… Chrome knew that Tsuna was somewhat like her too.

He may have little trouble understanding the outside world and people's feelings…

But Tsuna was as human as the rest of them. She knew that he too felt pain behind that unknowing face. She knew that he had suffered and felt everything she had felt in her past. Possibly more.

After all, how had the brunet felt, to be suddenly taken from the world of darkness, thrust into the light and into the protection of seven people he had no known but had saved him…

…Only to realize that they hadn't cared about him at all and were only acting out of someone else's orders?

Tsuna whimpered quietly as though he could see what was happening, as though he knew he was the cause of Chrome's unusual outburst.

"Chrome." Mukuro's voice called and the violet-haired girl looked up to meet mismatched eyes. She could see the warning in those eyes, they were quietly telling her not to break down in front of the guardians, that now was not the time to be emotional.

They were in the mafia after all.

Any signs of weakness would be swiftly dealt with.

The female mist guardian welcomed the mist that Mukuro surrounded her with, to calm her. The eye-patched Italian felt herself calm down as her senses, her feelings, were dulled by the violet mist. Her trembling stopped and she looked on at the guardians blankly.

"O-Oi, is she extremely alright?" Ryohei asked when he saw the blank violet eyes tare at him.

"She's fine. She's strong woman." Mukuro said carelessly as he placed an arm around his partner's waist. "She's been through a lot of tough situations men like you would normally die in."

Ryohei highly doubted he would die in any situation, but he thought better of it and just said, "_Extreme._" He nodded in approval.

Lambo frowned, shifting his weight on his other leg in discomfort. He looked at the mist guardians, not liking how Chrome's pained look was replaced with a blank one when Mukuro approached her. He had a feeling that his earlier statement had acted as a trigger, but to what… He didn't know.

Yamamoto stared at the only female guardian in curiosity as well. It seemed strange to him how Chrome was so attuned to the brunet's feelings when they had barely spoken to each other before. Maybe the boss reminded the mist girl about herself in the past or something?

Hibari merely frowned at the mists' direction. He didn't like these two at all. They're secretive nature, their weird eyes, and their hair color which defied discipline rules.

"Saa, I think we should go and leave the boss be." Mukuro said as he led Chrome towards the door. "We do not want to impose any longer, and besides we might be disturbing Sawada Tsunayoshi with our presence." He said as he turned to the double-oaked doors to leave.

The guardians, except Hibari, exchanged looks.

Ryohei shrugged at Yamamoto. "I've already done everything I _extremely _can with my sun flames." He said as he crossed his arms.

Yamamoto nodded, "Mukuro's right, we should leave. We might wake the boss up." The rain guardian said as he watched the cloud guardian make a hasty exit when he noticed the mist guardians were gone.

Lambo and Ryohei nodded as the swordsman turned around to leave the room. Ryohei followed but the cow teen hesitated as he looked at the figure lying alone in such a huge bed, in an unfamiliar place.

"Wouldn't he be lonely?" The Bovino suddenly stated, making Ryohei pause on his trek towards the door.

"What?" Ryohei asked, an eyebrow raised at the other teen's direction.

The youngest guardian looked at the bed for a moment longer before sighing and shaking his head. "Nothing, never mind." He said as he walked towards the door. Ryohei looked at the lightning guardian leave before turning his gray eyes on the boss' small and frail figure as well.

The sun guardian gave a nod at the boss' direction in respect and in a silent way to say 'get well soon' before leaving. He closed the door behind him quietly, as the soft sound echoed throughout the now empty room.

Tsuna shifted in his bed, slightly shivering at the coldness in the room.

Outside, the storm raged on.

* * *

**Notes: **So yes, I maybe a little late for this week's update that's why I updated 'Cuore Oscuro' and this fanfic at the same time. I actually have a lot of things on my plate right now. Let's hope that next week I'm not busy or the next chapter might come out later than I wish.

Also, I'm thinking that since, obviously, Gokudera and Yamamoto are Tsuna's best friends, Tsuna's first and last interaction should be with them. So Gokudera would go first and Yamamoto would go last. So to the Yamamoto and Tsuna fans, I'm sorry that it might take awhile before you see how Tsuna helps Yamamoto.

_Outside, the storm raged on_, it's weird that somehow this reminds me of the old pokemon game I used to play. Like 'the rain continues…' or something along those lines.

Sorry for any wrong grammars or spelling mistakes, I was in a hurry.

Thank you all for the wonderful reviews and support! You're the reason why I still write this fic, so thank you! Feel free to review if you have time!


	5. Caring

**Read:** I didn't mean to make everyone hate the guardians. They all have a really _good_ reason as to why they're doing this, so please don't hate them too much for their actions. They might get hateable as the chapter progresses, but I assure you it's for a good cause.

**Title: **Because the guardians (especially Gokudera since this chapter is half about his point of view) care about the mysterious brunet they rescued a few months ago. Except, for now, you have to dig in _really_ deep just to see that they care.

**Warning: **Warning for not seeing or reading about Tsuna at all throughout the whole chapter. This chapter will focus solely on Gokudera and a certain pair of guardians!

This anime is not owned by me, happy readings!

* * *

_**Chained Away  
**__From caring comes courage._** Lao Tzu**

* * *

**V. **_Caring_

He felt horrible.

Not physically, more like in the emotional aspect which was really something on his part. It's been a long time since he allowed himself to feel anything other than anger and indifference.

Long fingers ran through silver locks in frustration as Gokudera Hayato cursed slightly. He was by the window looking up at the dark sky with a frown, green eyes glaring at nothing in particular. As though the storm could feel his deep frustration and anger, the winds howled louder and the rain pelted harder on the ground. The storm guardian could hear some servants shouting in surprise as the howling wind rattled the expensive glass windows.

Gokudera allowed himself to relax a bit as the storm did the same, no longer rattling the windows as though trying to break them. The young storm guardian turned away from the sight as he slowly made his way out of the dining room, away from the servants' voices not far.

"…he's getting worse." The voice immediately came at him, the moment he stepped out of the grand dining room. The silver-haired teen froze when he saw the ninth and his sun guardian, Nie, coming out from a room not far.

The young bomber immediately turned and spotted a convenient hiding place in the form of long curtains covering glass windows. Deciding that he did not want to be seen by the ninth looking so unprofessional, undignified, and distressed, the bomber skillfully snuck behind the velvet and thick curtain just as the two elder Vongola stepped his way.

"I can't do anything more, Nono." The sun guardian's deep voice urged Gokudera to peek out of his current hiding spot. "All we can do is hope that he rests and gets better soon."

The sad voice of the ninth flowed out and Gokudera flinched slightly in guilt as he remembered the look given to him earlier. "My poor Tsunayoshi, I would send for the best doctors immediately but the storm has cut all telephone lines and I wouldn't want anyone coming into the middle of an unknown forest in this weather…" The tired and exasperated tone in his voice made Gokudera grip the curtain.

_He is the only family I have left._

The bomber distinctly remembered the same tone coloring the sad words said earlier.

"I'm sorry Nono. I will try my best to ease your and Tsunayoshi-kun's distress. I will be by his side until he wakes up and help him get through his sickness." Nie said quietly and the Nono must've shown his gratitude through a small smile or an affectionate gesture because Gokudera didn't hear anything from the old Vongola Head.

As the footsteps slowly began to fade into the distance, Gokudera stuck out his head from behind the curtain and looked at the direction of the room Tsuna was staying in. An ugly scowl marred his handsome features but he kept himself in control as he stepped out from behind the thick curtain.

"Honestly, that kid is causing trouble to us even for the _Ninth_!" Gokudera growled lowly, but then his expression softened into one of tiredness as he let his hands fall to his side.

"What a stupid kid…" The storm mumbled but then a flash of memory came to him: Tsuna on the floor crutches barely held in his small and shaking hands as he looked at Gokudera with confusion and something akin to fear.

The young storm pursed his lips as he shoved his hands into his pockets, grabbing a handful of dynamites to keep the shaking of his hands to a minimum, and also for comfort purposes. He liked feeling that he was armed with dangerous weapons, it made him feel safe, more grounded.

"I don't care about him…" Gokudera said to himself in defiance as he glared at the floor. "I _definitely _don't care about him! I mean, who cares if he gets sick? It's his fault for being so _damn_ weak!" He argued into the empty hallways, his cold tone bouncing of the walls.

"I don't care…" He whispered as he started walking. "I really don't…"

But in Gokudera's ears, those words just sounded like an excuse to him. The bomber sighed for the umpteenth time as his figure slumped tiredly.

Really, it would _really_ be _so_ much _easier_, if he didn't care at all.

Controlling his angry mutterings, Gokudera straightened up and proceeded to walk towards the double-oaked doors of the Vongola mansion that led outside. It seemed like it was time to go visit and _old_ acquaintance.

As Gokudera stepped out without any umbrella, green eyes never noticed amber eyes observing his strange actions the whole while.

A certain guardian was leaning not far, arms crossed in quiet contemplation as he stared at the ill-tempered guardian leave…

It seemed like a new interesting _game_ has started.

* * *

Chrome stared blankly at the peach-colored wall before her as Mukuro walks towards her, a cup of warm tea in his hand.

"My dear Chrome, are you alright now?" He asks as he extends the mug to her and she takes it from him obediently.

"Yes, Mukuro-sama." Chrome says in a monotonous tone and Mukuro frowns, because even though it was to subdue her from a mental breakdown, he never really liked using his mist numb his partner's senses and turn her into a mindless servant.

Snapping his fingers, almost instantly, the light in Chrome's eye returned and the hands holding the mug began to shake.

Tears gather at the corner of the female mist's eyes as Mukuro placed an arm around her, hushing her and assuring her that everything was fine.

"A-Alone… _all a-alone_…" Chrome sobs unintelligibly as the pineapple-haired guardian held her close while he ran a gloved hand through her short hair.

"It's fine my dear Chrome. Everything's fine, I'm here… Once we take control of Vongola, you will never feel alone again, I _promise _you that." The mist said to the female sobbing in his arms. And Chrome let the only person to ever have acknowledged her, calm her down. She believed Mukuro's words like a worshipper worshipped his gods. She found comfort and solace as she began to sniffle and suppress the sobs passing her lips.

"Shh, that's right… Everything will be fine." The illusionist stated as his other half gradually quieted. He continued to stroke her head until she stopped shaking and began to breathe in and out softly. He took the cup away form her and settled in onto a nearby table.

"M-Mukuro-sama…" Chrome said as her eye slowly closed. She took comfort in the other's presence and the affectionate gestures on her hair as she drifted off to sleep. Mukuro continued to console her even as she drifted off to sleep and welcomed the dark oblivion, relishing the fact that the mist barriers Mukuro built in her head would keep bad dreams out.

Feeling the other slumped against him in slumber, the mist guardian slowly settled the female mist onto the couch to rest. He got up and took off his black coat to drape it over the other's tired form. He turned his gaze away from the other and walked towards the windows, his mist staff materializing from mist.

He thought back earlier to the small figure lying vulnerably on the queen-sized bed, all alone and unguarded in his room and Mukuro couldn't help but smirk.

It was the first time the kid was left alone ever since he was found in Vendicare and brought back. Sure, there were a few rare instances he was left alone whilst in a coma, and Mukuro could've hatched out his plans then, but minds were very complicated and intricate things, one wrong move and he could've ended up damaging or killing the only key to the Vongola's thrown of power.

And he didn't want that now, did he?

But now, after a few months in a comatose state, the young _heir_ finally woke up and was- according to the doctors- healing at impressive but steady rate. There didn't seem to be any damage to his mind aside from his _hydrophobia_, but aside from that, all seemed to be well with the boy.

And Mukuro didn't need any more indication that he was safe to posses the only _heir _of Vongola, now did he?

Twirling his staff carefully, Mukuro took a great interest on the sharpened pointers of his chosen weapon. Just as small scratch of this and the Vongola would be under his control. Now all he had to do was sneak into the Vongola's room-

"I wouldn't do that if I were you, herbivore." A sudden voice from the doors alerted Mukuro to a new presence in the room. Instead of being shocked and defensive, the mist guardian simply turned to look at the cloud guardian with a smug smile.

"Well, well… if it wasn't my personal stalker, Hibari Kyoya." Mukuro said as he pointed the sharp end of his weapon to the skylark. "Kufufufu, being the bane of my existence again I see."

But instead of saying anything, the young aloof teen just raised an eyebrow at the other as though stating, 'And you aren't a bane to mine?' with his sharp amethyst eyes.

"So? Are you here to come pick a fight?" Mukuro asked as he lowered his weapon casually, a dangerous glint in his eyes. 'I'm sorry, but I'm a little busy at the moment. No time to play with cute little birds like you."

And if Mukuro thought that _that_ would get a rise out of the impatient cloud, well he was wrong. The carnivore merely looked at him, annoyed amethyst eyes regarding him quietly.

"The hitman told me to keep an eye on you." Hibari's words were carefully calculated but were also crisp and cool. "You aren't going anywhere near the boss' room today."

Mukuro tried to hide the frustration in his face by covering it up with a smirk. "And who said I was going there?"

Hibari said nothing as he merely turned his back on the power-crazy guardian. "The ninth's guardians are stationed outside of the herbivore's room. If I were you, I'd keep those dangerous plans to yourself or risk being bitten to death. Not by just me but by those old herbivores as well."

And that was all Hibari had to say to his mist counterpart before he left, closing the door behind him.

Mukuro let the teasing expression on his face drop as he gritted his teeth while fisting his staff harshly.

_Damn Reborn and the ninth's intuition. _Mukuro thought as he let the staff fade from his hand. He gritted his teeth in frustration. Thwarted again, by these overprotective old people! And he had barely stepped out of the room to try out his plan.

He really should've known better.

The mafia was perceptive, Mukuro forgot about that. They had spies _everywhere _thus, they knew _everything_. And Mukuro was a fool if he thought he'd pull the wool over their eyes so soon.

Unable to go through with his plans, the guardian of mist walked towards the couch and slumped over it in frustration. He buried his face into his hands and let out a frustrated growl, completely losing his composure.

He wasn't going to lose!

Not to the guardians, not to the mafia!

He was going to _win_, and he was going to seize power!

He'll make all the people that hurt him and Chrome pay dearly. But the only way to do so was to enlist the help of the _mafia_. The strongest mafia family of all.

And what would be better than to have the strongest family at your disposal? Controlling Sawada Tsunayoshi was what he needed for this plan to take into action.

And Mukuro would be damned if he let anyone get in the way of that.

Heterochromatic eyes shone in desperation and resolve as they peeked over his gloved hands.

He will make _them _pay.

He will make them _all_ pay.

* * *

**Notes: **Sorry for the delay! Two weeks of examination and a week of deadlines can really sap your strength and inspiration, and hopefully I can go back to the normal update routine soon, once I'm finished with getting sick and everything.

So yes, here's the new chapter. It looks like we're nearing the one hundredth review and I'm looking forward to see who it is. I might **make a one-shot for the one-hundredth reviewer**, but then we'll _see_.

So yes, I hope you enjoyed Gokudera's denial and Mukuro's inner and obsessive ranting. I'm off to sleep now because of my sickness and my eyes are even dropping while I'm writing this. I'm sorry for grammatical errors, thank you for reading this…

All in all, I'll see you guys as soon as I can! Please leave a review of your thoughts! Thank you!


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